Taxes to drop next year for Tonawanda homeowners

Cuts in personnel costs totaling about $900,000 will translate to a property tax decrease for homeowners in the Town of Tonawanda in the 2013 tentative budget.

The Town Board unanimously approved a resolution Monday night that reduced budget appropriations by $900,141 for personnel services and related fringe benefits, and also cut estimated water revenues by $83,027.

For the owner of an average home assessed at $50,000, next year’s annual tax bill would drop from the current $1,193.03 to $1,191.33.

“We did that not by spending millions and millions down on our fund balance … we did it by lowering our spending,” Councilman Joseph H. Emminger said during the Town Board meeting. “We have been able to maintain … all the services that the residents have come to expect.”

A public hearing on the tentative budget is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8. The state deadline for adopting a budget is Nov. 20.

The personnel cost reductions represent a wide variety of town services, ranging from a $48 reduction for the town historian – apparently eliminating a previously proposed raise – to $90,067 for police patrol officers.

Retiring police personnel have been replaced, according to Emminger.

In other business Monday, the Town Board approved several resolutions – including one for a $5 million bond issue – related to a water-line replacement project stretching approximately 8,900 lineal feet along Delaware Road. Twelve-inch mains will replace six-inch mains.

Work will be done in the roadway from Brighton Road to Highland Parkway, then in the right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb to Deerhurst Park Boulevard. Construction will occur next July and August, according to Kenneth F. Maving, director of water resources.

The work south of Sheridan Drive, which includes the vicinity of Kenmore West High School, was to have been done this year. “We weren’t able to coordinate it before school started,” Maving said.